Highly touted and even more individually talented M.A.R.S. supergroup assembled by Shrapnel boss Mike Varney that was quick to splinter after an indifferent response to their sole release. M.A.R.S. had originally been created as a band project by the ex-OZZY OSBOURNE rhythm team of bassist Rudy Sarzo (who had just left QUIET RIOT) and drummer Tommy Aldridge. Managed at the time by Ronnie James Dio's wife Wendy's Niji stable, the pair initially worked with ex YNGWIE MALMSTEEN vocalist JEFF SCOTT SOTO and former STEELER guitarist Kirk James.

By September '85 James had been succeeded by ex ROUGH CUTT guitarist Craig Goldy, who had quit GIUFFRIA to team up with Sarzo and Aldridge in what was now DRIVER and looking for a new singer after Soto's defection back to YNGWIE MALMSTEEN.

During this time frame the group was joined by former BIBLE BLACK and JOSHUA singer Jeff Fenholt for demo recordings. Fenholt had just come fresh from working on a shelved version of the BLACK SABBATH 'Seventh Star' album.

By the following year Goldy had been tempted away by DIO and had been replaced by Mike Varney discovery TONY MACALPINE, one of the vaunted new guitar heroes being guided by the Shrapnel boss.

Meantime, ROB ROCK had been added on vocals and this quartet recorded an album (produced by Mike Varney) before Rock began a career as a foil for burgeoning guitar merchants as he teamed up with JOSHUA then Chris Impelliterri in IMPELLITERRI and German guitar god AXEL RUDI PELL.

MacAlpine, meantime, resumed his solo career after the group had tried out the enigmatically titled Zeus on vocals (previously with MAYDAY) from New York in order to attempt to succeed Rock.

By the time the album, after many a delay, had been issued through Shrapnel in America and Roadrunner in Europe under the M.A.R.S. banner, legal complications over the DRIVER name had caused the switch, Sarzo and Aldridge adopted the new band name of NRG. The duo recorded further demos with the aforementioned Zeus, keyboardist Phil Lupo and new guitarist Lanny Cordola (ironically, like Craig Goldy, also previously with GIUFFRIA).

NRG reportedly scored a deal with Elektra but the project was abandoned when Sarzo chose to rejoin QUIET RIOT in May 1987 in addition to signing up with WHITESNAKE where he linked up with Aldridge once more. The pair would form MANIC EDEN once DAVID COVERDALE had put WHITESNAKE on ice. Lanny Cordola, meantime, rejoined former band mate Greg Giuffria in HOUSE OF LORDS.